London, Dhu-AlQa'dah 19, 1439, August 01, 2018, SPA -- Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Dr. Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al-Zayani stressed that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plays its active role in maintaining the security and stability of the region, protecting the interests of its peoples. Political, security and economic challenges required a sustained effort to alleviate the painful tragedies and instill hope among the peoples of the region to put an end to the ongoing conflicts, he said. This came in the speech he delivered on Tuesday at the opening of the Gulf Research Forum, organized by the Gulf Research Center at the University of Cambridge, Britain. The GCC continues its efforts to confront various threats to regional security and stability, including Iranian interference in the affairs of the region and the existence of extremist terrorist organizations. He pointed to the role of the United Nations and the Security Council in maintaining the security and stability of the region and putting an end to the ongoing conflicts and the continuous human suffering, stressing the need to restore the credibility of the Security Council through the implementation of its decisions on the issues of the region. He added that the situation in Yemen would have been better had Council Resolution 2216 been implemented. He added that Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations provides that territories have the opportunity to resolve regional disputes and settle their crises at the regional level and to take the necessary operational measures, if necessary, but with the authorization of the Security Council. The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani said that the spirit of Chapter VIII of the Charter should be strengthened as well as the effectiveness of United Nations resolutions in particular, stressing the need to look ahead and be more proactive in order to avoid problems and crises before they occur. He stressed the importance of working to ensure the protection of young people in the region from the thought of intolerance and extremism, which distorted the image of our Islamic religion, and that is within the framework of studied plans and strategies. The states of the region had an opportunity to achieve the desired stability and prosperity if they were to become closely interlinked, but that interdependence required far-reaching vision, political will and serious action, he said. He pointed out that the stability of the countries of the European continent is due to interdependence, supported by common goals and values and institutions such as the European Union, NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as well as sectoral cooperation agencies. The Secretary General stressed that the existence of a stable Middle East would in itself lead to massive regional and international investments for reconstruction. However, the gains that would be made in the region and its peoples would also be great if compared to the billions spent and still being spent on wars and conflicts leading to more misery, he added. He stressed that getting out of the cycle of conflict and violence in the region should be conducive to consideration of long-term common interests, which requires a long-term vision with a well-thought plan to implement them. --SPA 00:29 LOCAL TIME 21:29 GMT 0035 www.spa.gov.sa/w724604